Turkey said Wednesday that dissolving the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces was a key step toward strengthening state authority and securing lasting stability in Syria. Ankara has long viewed the group as an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which fought an insurgency against the Turkish state for decades.
Donetsk People’s Republic head Denis Pushilin said the region could be used to test maritime robotic systems, including systems developed elsewhere in Russia. He described the Sea of Azov waters as suitable because they offer sheltered areas, piers, infrastructure, port facilities, fairways and complex seabed terrain.
Donetsk People's Republicmaritime roboticsSea of Azov
The UN says at least 47 people were killed and more than 50 kidnapped when armed men attacked Kenscoff, a once-peaceful community near Haiti’s capital, earlier this week. Believed to be one of the country’s largest mass kidnappings in recent years, the assault has renewed anger over police failures. A gang leader has threatened to kill the hostages if authorities kill gang members while securing the area.
At least 47 people were killed, more than 50 kidnapped and 22 injured in a gang raid in Kenscoff near Port-au-Prince, the UN says. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack and said it highlighted Haiti’s alarming security situation. Local officials blamed the Viv Ansanm alliance for setting homes ablaze and killing residents.
Three weeks after thousands of migrants crossed into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Spanish websites and social media users claimed that migrants who remained were killing cats. The dead-cat photos circulated so far are either fake or out of context, while a local cat rescue group confirmed the claim is a rumour.
Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller met with Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, and National Iranian Gas Company CEO Saeed Tavakoli. The parties discussed potential cooperation in the gas sector.
At the AABIP 2026 meeting in Denver, US and Chinese experts discussed combining American engineering with Chinese clinical practice. Shape-sensing robotic-assisted bronchoscopy, introduced to China in 2021, helped spur international consensus on diagnosing peripheral lung lesions, while imaging, AI and training partnerships could further improve care.
US-China cooperationrobotic bronchoscopylung cancer diagnosis
Cross-Pacific cooperation aims to advance global lung cancer care
FlashBREAKINGTranslated by Minutes
🇵🇰 ⚠️ 'Give me my child back': mother of one of 14 infants killed in Pakistan hospital fire
The blaze erupted in a hospital maternity ward in Islamabad killing 14 infants, authorities said, blaming a faulty air conditioner. Witnesses described harrowing scenes, with intense smoke and broken glass
🇵🇰 ⚠️ 'Give me my child back': mother of one of 14 infants killed in Pakistan hospital fire
The blaze erupted in a hospital maternity ward in Islamabad killing 14 infants, authorities said, blaming a faulty air conditioner. Witnesses described harrowing scenes, with intense smoke and broken glass
Analysts say Israel’s raid on UNRWA’s Qalandiya Training Centre in occupied East Jerusalem is aimed at erasing Palestinian refugee rights and advancing West Bank annexation. They link the operation to plans for more than 9,000 settlement units and tighter control over movement between Jerusalem and Ramallah.
European underground gas storage facilities are 63.28% full, according to calculations based on Gas Infrastructure Europe data—17.24 percentage points below the five-year average and down from 76% a year earlier. EU facilities hold about 69.2 billion cubic meters, the lowest volume since 2013. Since early April, Europe has injected only 57% of the gas needed for the coming winter, while the EU filling target is 90%.
The United States said Wednesday it had disrupted a Chinese hacking operation that broke into the Justice Department, NASA, the Federal Reserve, the U.S. Senate and other sensitive government agencies.
Lethal heatwaves and wildfires have widened the divide between voters demanding climate action and politicians reluctant to confront the long-term choices required by global heating. The article says short-termism, polarisation and cost-of-living fears have silenced much of Europe’s political mainstream, despite mounting evidence of the crisis.
Strategy raised $2.0065 billion by selling common shares from Aug. 17 through Aug. 23, but bought no Bitcoin. After repurchasing STRC and adding to its reserve, about $1.5701 billion went into flexible USD Cash that could fund Bitcoin purchases, share buybacks, debt actions or other purposes rather than a committed Bitcoin order.
Bill Gates wants a robot tax and “Human Reserved” jobs as ways to mitigate the harms of AI. He largely aligns with the Responsible AI camp, but the proposals include several ideas that are less familiar.
A French court has recognised former Air France flight attendant Sophie Lainault’s breast cancer as occupationally caused. It cited her extensive night work, exposure to ionising radiation and passive smoking after more than 12,600 flight hours. Her lawyer and the CFDT union called it a first for France’s aviation industry and said it could help similar claims.
breast canceroccupational diseaseAir Francecourt ruling
Meta Platforms has agreed to pay $17 billion to settle claims brought by 47 US states. State attorneys general accused the company of designing Facebook and Instagram to deliberately addict teenagers while misleading the public. The agreement also requires added child-safety measures.
Meta has agreed to pay up to $16.68bn to settle claims from 29 US states that Facebook and Instagram were designed to addict children, mislead consumers and collect children’s data. It will introduce two-hour daily limits and nighttime blocks for under-18s, and remove users under 13. Meta denies wrongdoing, and the settlement still requires court approval.
Meta has agreed to pay $17 billion and introduce child-safety measures on Facebook and Instagram. The deal would end a landmark trial over teen social media addiction and settle claims brought by 47 states.
Meta has agreed to pay up to $16.7 billion and introduce new limits on teenagers’ use of Facebook and Instagram under a California lawsuit brought by several US states over addiction and excessive use. The settlement still needs court approval.
Meta has reached a settlement with US states in a landmark case alleging that it intentionally designed addictive platforms that harmed young people’s mental health.
Meta settled its latest kids’ online safety trial with 29 state attorneys general, avoiding the rest of a case that could have cost hundreds of billions of dollars. The agreement requires independently tested age assurance, lets teens disable personalized feeds, suspends overnight push notifications, and limits app use to two hours a day, with exceptions for messaging and longform content.
Meta Platforms has agreed to pay $16.7 billion to settle a landmark social media case involving multiple US states, according to a court filing submitted Wednesday.
Meta and a coalition of state attorneys general have settled a federal trial focused on allegations that the social media company misrepresented the extent of mental-health harms involving children.
Metasocial media addictionchild mental healthlitigation
Meta Platforms reached a settlement with states across the United States over claims that it designed Instagram and Facebook to addict children and misled consumers about the platforms’ safety.
Flash floods struck a border crossing between Tibet and Nepal, engulfing roads and villages in mud. Hundreds of people are reported missing, including more than 300 tourists, while flood alerts have been issued in India’s Bihar and Uttar Pradesh states.
At least 55 people have died and hundreds of tourists are missing near Nepal’s border with Tibet in a disaster that is still unfolding. Verified videos showed dozens being swept away, while authorities on both sides feared the true toll and destruction could be far greater.
Devastating floods struck northern Nepal near the Tibet border, killing at least 31 people and leaving hundreds missing, including nearly 300 foreign tourists. Preliminary information suggests an earthquake triggered an avalanche that blocked a river before floodwaters swept through villages and damaged roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure.
Northern Nepal’s flooding has killed 31 people, injured 93 and led to 93 rescues, police said. The disaster struck Wednesday morning and may have been triggered by a snow-and-rock avalanche near the Nepal-China border, about 20 kilometers northeast of Rasuwagadhi. Hundreds, including many foreign tourists, are reportedly missing as rescue efforts continue.
Flooding in northern Nepal has killed at least 16 people, while around 1,000 may have been swept away, India TV reported. The estimate is unconfirmed. Rescuers have saved 20 people, with 15 helicopters involved. Authorities are trying to locate hundreds of foreign tourists and Nepalis, along with at least 60 workers missing from the Langtang Khola hydropower project.
CCTV shows people fleeing just seconds before a massive mudslide engulfed a crossing on the Nepal-China border, sweeping across roads, buildings and vehicles. At least nine people were killed and hundreds were reported missing after torrential flooding.
Officials said Wednesday that at least 22 bodies had been recovered and 384 people were reported missing after a massive flash flood swept through parts of Nepal and Tibet. Chinese state media said the mudslide disaster at Gyirong Port on the Tibetan side caused major casualties and left people missing.
An ice-and-rock avalanche triggered flash floods along Nepal’s Bhotekoshi River, destroying villages, roads and hydropower projects. Officials say at least eight people died and 384 tourists, including 291 foreigners, remain unaccounted for. Authorities have sought rescue assistance from India and China.
Torrential flooding and a mudslide along the Nepal-Tibet border have killed at least nine people and swept away homes, roads, bridges and power projects. Officials fear more casualties, with people missing in Tibet’s Gyirong county, while rescue helicopters have been unable to land in Nepal’s worst-hit areas.
A major flash flood in Nepal’s northern Rasuwa district killed at least eight people and damaged villages, roads, bridges and power projects. Authorities warned casualties and property losses could be higher. Across the border, Tibet reported major casualties and missing people after a mudslide disrupted roads, communications and power at Gyirong port.
At least 17 people were killed when a major flash flood and mudslide in Nepal’s Rasuwa district washed away villages and damaged roads and infrastructure. Search efforts are under way on both sides of the border, with 12 people rescued, while police officers and others remain uncontactable. Roads, communications and power have been disrupted.
A major flash flood struck the Himalayan border areas of Nepal and adjoining Tibet on Wednesday, killing at least nine people. Villages were swept away and roads, bridges and power projects damaged, while authorities warned that the toll could rise.
Flash floods in Nepal’s Himalayan Rasuwa region swept away villages and damaged bridges, killing at least eight people. Chinese authorities said a mudslide in Tibet caused “major casualties.” Rescue helicopters could not land because of high water, while Nepal and China ordered all-out rescue efforts.
A massive flash flood in Nepal swept away villages and project sites near the Tibet border, authorities said on Wednesday. They warned that casualties could be heavy and urged people living along riverbanks to move to higher ground.
The Kremlin says CIA Director John Ratcliffe met Russian intelligence officials in Moscow but did not meet President Vladimir Putin. Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called the talks a “positive development”, while cautioning that it is too early to assess their effect on efforts to ease the severe crisis in bilateral relations.
The Kremlin confirmed that CIA Director John Ratcliffe held high-level talks with Russian security counterparts in Moscow, while denying that he met President Vladimir Putin. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin was promptly briefed on the discussions but did not attend, and questioned whether they could ease the countries’ “profound crisis.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said no contacts with US representatives are currently planned through Kremlin channels. He added that Russia’s contacts with CIA Director John Ratcliffe during his visit to Moscow were conducted through special services.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian intelligence agencies had contacts with CIA Director John Ratcliffe, but Ratcliffe did not meet President Vladimir Putin. No presidential-level Moscow-Washington contacts are currently planned. Peskov said Ukraine is unequivocally losing the conflict and that turmoil inside the Kyiv regime is intensifying, while Russia hopes Armenia’s political processes follow the law and respect participants’ rights.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe held talks with Russian intelligence officials during his visit to Moscow on Tuesday but did not meet President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin said. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was too early to determine whether contacts between the two countries’ intelligence agencies could improve US-Russia relations.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow for what Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described as “contacts between security services.” Peskov said meetings between Ratcliffe and Vladimir Putin were not scheduled. Speculation linked the unannounced visit either to the release of American prisoner Charles Zimmerman or to a possible “warning” for Putin.
John RatcliffeMoscow visitUS-Russia relationsKremlin
Microsoft is introducing an Xbox disc-to-digital feature that lets players claim a digital entitlement for supported Xbox One and Xbox Series X disc games by inserting and launching the disc. Xbox Insiders will begin testing it on August 31, with a wider rollout in the following months. Publishers will determine which titles are supported, so the feature will initially cover only some games.
Russian stocks narrowed their losses to 1% during the main trading session on the Moscow Exchange. By 4:15 p.m. Moscow time, the MOEX and RTS indices were down 0.95% at 2,097.03 and 782.12 points, respectively.
Russian stocks fell at the start of Wednesday’s main trading session. The MOEX and RTS indices initially dropped 1.2% to 2,091.83 and 780.19 points, while the yuan gained against the ruble. Their losses later narrowed, and the MOEX index with the IMOEX2 ticker was down 0.67% in morning trading.
Saxony-Anhalt is a sparsely populated, predominantly rural state undergoing structural change after the lignite phaseout. Ahead of the September 2026 election, the far-right AfD, led by Ulrich Siegmund, is polling above 40%, well ahead of the CDU at 23% to 26%, raising the possibility that it could lead a German state government for the first time after World War II.
Donetsk People’s Republic head Denis Pushilin said domestically produced Uran-6 robotic demining systems proved effective while engineering units cleared mines from Mariupol after its liberation. He described the 2022 demining effort as a very serious task that was successfully completed.
Z.ai has confirmed that it developed Ox Alpha, the mysterious open AI model currently topping benchmarks and leaderboards. The model’s weights are expected to be released soon.
Surprise: Z.ai is the AI lab behind the mysterious Ox Alpha model
FlashTranslated by Minutes
🇺🇸 ♾️ ⚖️ Meta has agreed to pay US states as much as $16.7 billion and to impose sweeping new limits on how teenagers use Facebook and Instagram, according to a court filing that ends a landmark trial in California
📷 Sebastien Bozon
🇺🇸 ♾️ ⚖️ Meta has agreed to pay US states as much as $16.7 billion and to impose sweeping new limits on how teenagers use Facebook and Instagram, according to a court filing that ends a landmark trial in California
US President Donald Trump told Al Jazeera he has no timetable for Iran to return to negotiations aimed at ending the conflict the US began months ago. He said he was not in a hurry and claimed the US was winning decisively. A previous US-Iran memorandum covering the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions and Iran’s nuclear programme expired earlier this month.
US President Donald Trump said in an interview that the war between the United States and Iran would end “fairly soon.” He said the Strait of Hormuz was open and functioning, adding that mines had been removed.
Buckingham Palace said on Wednesday that King Charles and Queen Camilla will make a week-long Caribbean tour later this year, visiting Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas and Guyana.
The Sun produces helium-3, and some of it reaches the Moon in the solar wind. With no magnetic field or atmosphere to block the particles, helium-3 has accumulated in lunar soil and can be mixed below the surface when meteorite impacts churn the regolith. A Seattle company is attempting to recreate that process.
A rare cluster of airport malaria at Frankfurt Airport has infected six employees, one of whom died. Health authorities believe an infected Anopheles mosquito brought in on an aircraft may have transmitted the disease. The other patients are receiving treatment, while mosquito traps and monitoring remain in place.
A Frankfurt Airport worker has died after contracting malaria in a rare outbreak that has infected six employees. German health officials believe mosquitoes may have arrived on a plane. The five other workers are being treated, while traps have been installed and captured mosquitoes will be analysed to determine their species and origin.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that it was time to teach Canada it could not continue acting this way, days after trade talks between the neighboring countries broke down.
The 30th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum will take place on June 16-19, 2027, the Roscongress Foundation said. Anton Kobyakov, executive secretary of the forum’s organizing committee, described SPIEF as a force uniting the global community through trust and a commitment to development.
Nasdaq-listed DeFi Development has launched a real-time “State of Solana” intelligence platform. The SOL treasury firm holds roughly 2.3 million SOL worth about $208 million, while its shares are down 16% year to date.
Microsoft has priced its translucent green 25th anniversary Xbox Series X at $899. Preorders open August 27 at 10AM ET, with the 1TB console launching November 13 alongside a matching “OG Green” controller and limited-edition accessories.
A Pew Research Center poll found that 55% of South Koreans viewed US policies negatively, the first majority-negative result in 23 years. Only 57% considered the US a reliable partner, while 85% disapproved of Donald Trump’s handling of tariffs. The US nevertheless remained the country’s most frequently named important ally.
Slovakia’s government approved a bill on Wednesday that would prohibit children under 16 from using social networks. It said the measure could help prevent addictive behaviour, social pressure and radicalisation.
Powerful Typhoon Saudel is moving west across the East China Sea after striking Okinawa and other remote southwestern Japanese islands. The storm caused blackouts and canceled flights while raising the threat of landslides; two people were injured.
Data centers draw attention for their heavy water and energy use, but nearby residents are also protesting the constant noise they produce. That has created more work for acousticians.
A police officer has been arrested after the bodies of four missing people were found on South Korea’s Jeju Island. The cases had been closed without proper investigation, prompting a review of all 298 missing-person cases he handled.
South KoreaJeju Islandmissing peoplepolice investigation
Four bodies have been found on South Korea’s Jeju Island since Saturday, intensifying criticism of local police. Sergeant Bu was arrested over allegations that he lied to families and closed missing-persons cases prematurely. Four officers were placed on leave, while President Lee Jae Myung ordered sweeping police reform and a review of nearly 300 cases Bu handled.
A California couple’s escalating dispute with their surrogate over a newborn with a life-threatening heart defect has reached a Texas court. The couple told the court that the child’s condition has worsened and that they are anguished.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is expected to meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek, Iranian broadcaster Press TV reports. The summit is scheduled for August 31 and September 1, while the Iranian government leader’s office has not officially commented.
Elden Ring and its Shadow of the Erdtree expansion are coming to Switch 2 as the Tarnished Edition. The port has less detailed characters and some muddy textures, but it avoids noticeable stuttering or frame-rate drops in handheld and TV modes, making it a compelling way to play the open-world game.
SoundCloud is testing a feature that lets artists sell tracks directly from their profiles instead of sending fans to services such as Bandcamp or Beatport. SoundCloud takes no commission, so the sales revenue goes entirely to the artists.
A newly filed class-action lawsuit alleges that Oura misled customers by claiming its smart ring can accurately identify sleep stages. The complaint argues that because the ring does not directly measure brain waves, its AI-based sleep inferences are faulty science presented as reliable measurement. The analysis questions the suit’s logic while stressing that wearable data has limits.
Former international swimmer Neil Gilson, from Devon, has completed a roughly 230-mile challenge covering Switzerland’s 10 largest lakes. He finished with a little over 22 hours across Lake Geneva, and used the feat to raise awareness of PANS and PANDAS, a neuropsychiatric condition that affected his son.
Russia’s first domestically produced heavy-duty remotely operated underwater vehicle, Sakhalin, has undergone sea trials in St. Petersburg. The robot can work at depths of up to 3,000 meters, servicing subsea oil and gas facilities, pipelines and cable routes while carrying out searches, emergency work and complex tasks with manipulator arms.
The DSM is a widely used reference for diagnosing mental disorders and guiding research, but it has never incorporated biology into its diagnoses. The DSM-5 has drawn criticism because its lack of objective biological measures may medicalize human suffering and weaken diagnostic validity.
A 10-year-old Palestinian boy who makes kites says he is afraid to fly them after Israel threatened to treat kites and balloons from Gaza as drones and acts of war.
Ukraine plans a sanctions package against more than 100 Russian companies involved in making ballistic missiles, Presidential Sanctions Commissioner Vladyslav Vlasiuk said. Kyiv has asked the EU for interim measures in September, while Ukrainian investigations found Chinese microelectronic chip distribution lagging behind that of US components.
Guinea’s President Mamadi Doumbouya has dismissed 173 soldiers for “desertion”, including Col Michel Lamah, who helped him seize power in the 2021 coup. The move is thought to be part of ongoing efforts by the former coup leader to consolidate control and deter potential challenges.
Mozambique’s conflict in northern Cabo Delgado has entered its ninth year, with renewed attacks displacing more than 100,000 people last year and pushing the total forced from their homes above 1.3 million. Aid shortages, floods and cyclones are deepening the humanitarian crisis as the government discusses the future of displaced people.
The Dutch vehicle regulator RDW said on Wednesday that Tesla cars are not currently subject to a recall in Europe over concerns that their doors could be difficult to open during an emergency.
A fire broke out early Wednesday in a critical-care nursery at Islamabad’s Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, killing 14 of the 15 newborns inside. Hospital management blamed a short circuit in an air-conditioning unit, while families and witnesses questioned staffing, blocked access and the rescue response.
At least 14 babies died and one was rescued after a fire broke out Wednesday in the nursery at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad. Hospital and rescue officials said an air-conditioning compressor exploded around 6:45 a.m., with flames confined to the nursery. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered an investigation and removed Health Secretary Aslam Ghauri.
A fire in the mother-and-child ward at Islamabad’s Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences killed 14 babies. Relatives and witnesses said the ward door was locked and rescuers took too long to arrive, while hospital officials disputed the claim and said guards were stationed there. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered an investigation and suspended the federal health secretary.
At least 14 newborns died after a fire tore through a mother-and-baby ward at a hospital in Islamabad on Wednesday. Grieving parents gathered outside as witnesses described chaotic scenes filled with heavy smoke and shattered glass. Local media blamed the tragedy on a faulty air-conditioning system.
At least 14 infants died in a fire at a state-run hospital in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad on Wednesday, the prime minister said. The health minister blamed the tragedy on a blast in the nursery ward. It is among the country’s deadliest hospital fires in recent years, amid repeated criticism of mismanagement at state facilities.
At least 14 newborn babies died after a fire broke out in the mother and child unit at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences hospital in Islamabad. A hospital spokesman said an air-conditioning unit caught fire while 15 babies were in the ward; one was rescued. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif suspended a senior health official and ordered an investigation.
A fire broke out Wednesday in a maternity ward at a hospital in Islamabad, killing 14 infants, according to Pakistani authorities. They blamed the blaze on a faulty air conditioner, while black smoke filled the ward.
At least 15 newborns died when a fire broke out in the third-floor maternity ward of PIMS Hospital in Islamabad. Officials said 16 infants were there and one was rescued. Rescuers suspected a malfunctioning air-conditioning unit, while Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered an immediate investigation.
Hospital authorities rescued one child, according to sources. The fire also left some babies in critical condition, and the death toll could rise, they said.
A fire in the nursery of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital in Islamabad killed at least 15 newborns, local media reported. Hospital officials said 16 babies were inside and only one was rescued. The fire reportedly began when an air-conditioner compressor exploded; firefighters have extinguished the blaze and are cooling the site.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented Elon Musk with the Order of Freedom, a major state honor reserved for strategic partners. Kyiv is also lobbying the world’s richest man to allow his Starlink mobile internet system to be used for drone strikes in Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree on August 26 awarding Elon Musk the Order of Freedom, one of Ukraine’s highest state honors. Musk’s SpaceX operates Starlink. Western media, citing sources, reported that Ukrainian officials have sought permission for Ukraine’s Armed Forces to use Starlink against targets inside Russia, but Musk has not granted it.
Victory Capital will acquire First Eagle in a $7 billion deal, after the Texas-based investment firm lost out earlier this year in the race to buy Janus Henderson.
Callaway has apologised for a withdrawn advertisement showing a male golfer shoving professional player Alexis Miestowski to the ground when she reaches for his driver. The video triggered boycott calls and criticism of the companies’ accountability; Callaway says it is investigating how the advert was approved.
LND has disclosed a channel-close flaw that, in a reproduced maximum-loss scenario, could put an entire channel balance at risk. A malicious peer could combine a one-block Bitcoin reorganization with an old revoked commitment transaction, preventing penalty transactions from being broadcast. The official fix is in LND 0.21.0, so standard releases below that version should be treated as unfixed unless patched independently.
A complete ban on trade with Iran could destabilize the global economy, The New York Times reported. Experts said sanctions were unlikely to succeed without cooperation from China and India, Tehran’s key trading partners. Washington has threatened secondary sanctions against countries that refuse to comply with tighter measures.
The article argues that a new round of US sanctions on Iran would deepen the country’s economic and livelihood difficulties while transmitting disruption through energy, trade, finance and supply chains. It says pressure could shift risks and costs onto US allies, developing countries and global energy markets, with regional economies forced to adjust ties with Iran.
CNN analysis says Scott Bessent’s “Operation Economic Outcast” threatens damaging new sanctions against countries that refuse to stop doing business with Iran, but leaves unnamed the one country that could determine whether the effort succeeds: China.
The United States has announced a new round of economic sanctions against Iran and warned countries and entities trading with Tehran that they could also be punished. The explainer says secondary sanctions expose such partners to US penalties, with Washington relying mainly on access to its market and financial system to enforce the pressure campaign.
The 11th APEC Food Security Ministerial Meeting in Hangzhou brought together about 200 representatives from 21 economies and international organizations. Participants endorsed a joint declaration and digitalization principles, calling for stronger cooperation on agricultural innovation, trade and resilient food systems amid risks such as extreme weather and supply-chain disruptions.
Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong said China is ready to work with all APEC economies to build a more stable food security system. Speaking at the opening of the 11th APEC Food Security Ministerial Meeting in Hangzhou, he called for deeper agricultural technology cooperation, smooth trade and stronger policy coordination. About 200 delegates attended.
Up to 70 vessels are waiting near the Danube’s Sulina Canal to reach Ukrainian ports and load grain for export, Reuters reported. With access to several Ukrainian Black Sea ports restricted, traffic has shifted to lower-capacity Danube facilities. Weather-related closures planned for at least two days could worsen delays; only five to seven vessels are currently passing daily, at a cost of about $8,000 per day for each delayed vessel.
A Bishkek screening event has introduced nearly 10 documentaries, dramas and cultural programs produced by China Media Group. Covering Chinese craftsmanship, intangible heritage, traditional medicine and daily life, the programs will air on Kyrgyzstan’s national broadcaster and other regional media through the end of October.
Ethereum developers have drafted a proposal allowing validators to deposit using quantum-resistant keys, with the network eventually ceasing to accept the format it currently uses.
OpenAI’s Jalapeño chip outperformed Nvidia’s Blackwell systems in key inference-efficiency tests, as custom AI silicon gains traction among major technology companies and puts new pressure on Nvidia’s margins.
Ukrainian police and the SBU say they stopped an FSB plot to kill the head of a defense company in Kyiv. A 63-year-old suspect allegedly planted a device containing 1 kilogram of hexogen under the target’s car seat, then was arrested in Poland while trying to flee toward Russia.
The U.S. State Department said it has “significant concerns” about Chinese artist Gao Zhen’s case after a Chinese court sentenced him to three years in prison over dissident artworks. It also said U.S. diplomats were denied entry to Tuesday’s sentencing hearing.
UEFA is reportedly preparing to withdraw its threat to boycott FIFA tournaments after receiving assurances that FIFA will not revive a plan to sell stakes in its competitions to private investors. European teams are therefore expected to play in next month’s Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland, while UEFA continues considering legal or regulatory action.
Reports: UEFA backs off FIFA tournament boycott threat
FlashTranslated by Minutes
GRAPHIC WARNING: This video contains sensitive footage that may disturb some viewers. A massive flash flood in the Himalayan border areas of Nepal and China's Tibet washed away villages while damaging roads, bridges and power projects in a region bordering Tibet, authorities said
GRAPHIC WARNING: This video contains sensitive footage that may disturb some viewers. A massive flash flood in the Himalayan border areas of Nepal and China's Tibet washed away villages while damaging roads, bridges and power projects in a region bordering Tibet, authorities said
Audio transcripts cited in court filings reportedly identify President Zelensky’s chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov, as taking part in conversations recorded during a major corruption investigation. The case involves allegations of corporate raiding and money laundering against former officials and other suspects. The President’s Office has been asked for comment.
Six-year-old Pranay Teja allegedly collapsed and died after his kindergarten teacher slapped him for not completing homework in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The death is under investigation and has renewed questions over why corporal punishment persists in Indian schools despite a legal ban.
A prototype of Russia’s Barrage-2 unmanned stratospheric platform is scheduled to be unveiled in 2028, Advanced Research Foundation official Yan Chibisov said at the Technoprom 2026 forum in Novosibirsk. The airship-like craft will use pneumatic ballasting to adjust altitude and exploit winds, with possible payloads including 5G NTN communications equipment.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Borisenko and Oman’s ambassador to Moscow, Hamood bin Salim bin Abdullah Altowaiya, discussed recent developments in the Persian Gulf and pressing issues concerning broader Russian-Omani cooperation. The meeting was held at Oman’s initiative.
The Israeli army raided Bint Jbeil and El-Khiam in southern Lebanon, described as Hezbollah strongholds, and blew up six residential buildings, Al Mayadeen TV reported. Similar operations took place in several nearby settlements, while bulldozers demolished a school complex outside Meiss Ej Jabal.
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